Secret Lake Fishing in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Vilas County, Secret Lake is a Wisconsin water. It sits at 1,719 feet above sea level. At 14 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Vilas County. For a base, Eagle River sits 14 miles out. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 114 miles away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Secret Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Vilas County records list bluegill, yellow perch and walleye among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Secret Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Secret Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Plymouth Lake is 1.3 miles distant. Rules at Secret Lake are worth checking on the day.